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Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo- Births, Deaths, Arrivals and Departures 2014

Discussion in 'Canada' started by TZFan, 29 Dec 2013.

  1. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Setting up 2014 threads. Im really looking forward to many of the additions made here this year. Come on baby panda.
     
  2. cypher

    cypher Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    I think everyone is going to be hoping for that baby panda. Especially the zoo. Imagine the crowds it'll bring.
     
  3. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Oh he or she will make the publics love of Remy right now look like nothing. It will be an enormous draw for the late fall but more so next winter.

    Im still looking forward to the baby gorilla though. Still hoping for a birthday buddy for me. Go Jan 17!

    And there is so many other possiblities for babies. Otters (both kinds), lemurs (as always), rumored zebras, probably another kudu, more polar bears to name a few.
     
  4. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Big news... we have a new big baby. Apparently a zebra foal was recently born and will be going on display soon. No gender or mother was listed. Looks like Jake has done his job taking over for Shaka.

    And in other big baby news two of the bison are pregnant and expected to give birth soon.

    Toronto Zoo looks toward 2014 - Toronto - CBC News
     
  5. cypher

    cypher Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    If I remember correctly, 2 Zebras were pregnant. So we should see another one born soon.

    Good to have more bison, but with the huge area they have, it'll take time seeing them, and that's probable out of luck that they're close to the fence.
     
  6. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Yes someone said both Shani and Tori were pregnant but the story only mentioned the first birth. Could be one was really pregnant and the other is behind by enough its not worth mentioning at this time.

    Frankly Im surprised they mentioned the bison pregnancies but not Ngozi's which will bring people to the zoo in droves. Baby bison are cute and all but lets face facts its the gorilla baby and Remy who will be 2014's super stars no matter what else is born (well maybe tiger cubs if they arrive in time or at all).
     
  7. cypher

    cypher Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Yeesh, I completely forgot about a baby gorilla coming. That will really pack the rainforest pavilion.

    It was me that mentioned both Zebras being pregnant. Heard it at a Zoo Keeper talk, (Not sure why they started talking about the Zebra). I remember that there was a difference in the length of the pregnancies, I just don't remember if they said how long.
     
  8. arcticwolf

    arcticwolf Well-Known Member

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    It's great that a baby zebra was born. What an amazing way to end the year!

    Baby wood bison are exciting too!
     
  9. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Sorry Cypher I couldnt remember who said it. I wouldnt be surprised if they tried to time one of the births to hit during the spring or summer. My guess is the new mom is Tori given the 13 month pregnancy and the fact Shakira died sometime between Nov 2012 and spring 2013 so Shani might not have been available for breeding to be the mother of this baby. I could be wrong but thats my guess. Wouldnt it be great if Toronto was better at announcing births like other zoos then we would know when there was a new baby and who it belonged to.

    We should have some articles coming out soon. Theres the annual penguin chick story which is usually out in the 1st or 2nd week in January. There will be the gorilla birth announcement any time now. And there will be the naming contest for Remy and his first day on display... Oh and the possible return of the big guy, Inukshuk.
     
  10. adams7

    adams7 Well-Known Member

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    From what I've heard, Shani gave birth a month or two ago to a male calf and Tori is due at any time.

    The Zoo has posted a year in review PowerPoint presentation on the website (under press releases), which does the normal recap of the year, but also includes what to look forward to.... February is listed as Polar Bear month, so I'm guessing that that is when the cub will go on display.
     
  11. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    It is not unheard of for zoos here to put off anouncing births till when the calves / cubs have passed the critical period. Being close on winter-time I would expect that with your zebras.

    BTW: Wood bison calves is something to really cheer about ...
     
  12. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Oh I do know zoos put off those kinds of announcements until they are more confident of survival. Not announcing pregnancies can be a good decision because you just never know. Im surprised they said anything about the bison for that very reason. Toronto just seems to be terrible about announcing births far more than most other zoos which is a shame. WIth all the bad press the zoo has had in the last several years surrounding the elephants, a number of popular animal deaths (older animals... natural progression for the zoo), and problems with the city and AZA, you would think they would be keener in celebrating their successes and proving to people the zoo is a good place doing fantastic work. They do great things and the general public usually has little idea how amazing their zoo and the stellar staff are.
     
  13. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Any plans for the elephant area now vacant?
    (white rhinos or giraffe)

    New giraffe and rhino coming?
    What about the Indian rhino?
     
  14. arcticwolf

    arcticwolf Well-Known Member

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    Giraffes will move into the old elephant exhibit. The renovations should start later this year.

    It's possible that new giraffes will come once their new exhibit is completed. The zoo has a lot of white rhinos so I don't expect any more will be arriving. I haven't heard anything about the white rhinos breeding. I know there are plans for the Indian rhinos to breed so hopefully we'll see a baby soon.
     
  15. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    I cant wait to see the giraffes in the elephant exhibit. Based on things I have read from board meetings I believe the renos should start very soon. Designs are done and they were waiting on the elephants to be gone before construction would begin. I think I read early 2014 with the goal of moving them before the year was out... something tells me spring was the goal but I could be confusing that with any number of other things. Mstari will really enjoy all that new space to explore.

    As to giraffes arriving the zoo is looking for more giraffes already. Theres a possible deal in place for a male but none yet for females. If the male does arrive it wont be until the exhibit is completed especially now that Mstari has arrived. Not only is space an issue but Id think they would want to get the girls settled before introducing a new animal to them, especially given Ginetta's advanced age.

    Arcticwolf is right we do have more white rhinos then we have had in a long long time... 4. Tom has been with us for years now. Tony arrived from Granby a year or two ago while sisters Zohari and Sabi arrived in that period from Tampa. The girls are currently too young for breeding. They are still a year or so before the zoo would try breeding them with Tom. Tony could be used but Tom is preferable given his genes. So two years from now we could be looking forward to white rhino calves if all goes well on the first attempts.

    The zoo has been trying to breed Indian Rhinos Ashakiran and Vishnu for years now. Asha was preganant in 2010-2011 but gave birth to a still born male calf in March 2011. Im sure they would have given her body some time to rest and recover so a calf sometime soon could be possible if the zoo got lucky. I dont think anyone has heard if she is pregnant so its just a possiblity we wont know one way or another about until the baby has arrived. I hope they have a little one soon.

    This summer could shape up to be a fanastic one for babies if even a small fraction of the planned breedings and new pairing work out. We already have a giraffe calf, kudu calf, zebra foal and polar bear cub to enjoy. The zoos admitted to another zebra, 2 bison and a gorilla. Odds are good that more penguins have already hatched. The zoo likely would let the lemurs and capybaras breed again unless space is becoming an issue. Theres all the other breedings that might take place, tigers, snow leopards, red pandas, tree kangaroos, komodo dragons, probably the new victoria crowned pigeons, polar bears, prehensile tailed porcupines, golden lion tamarins, river otters, snapping turtles, sakis (low chance given the age of Kawa), hyena, white lions (the girls are old enough, Fintan might not be old enough yet), probably another kudu, possibly warthogs, red river hogs, lion tailed macaques, babirusa, and lets not forget the fact that the zoos biggest goal for the year a PANDA CUB... or 2 if lucky. Im sure the zoo will try to space the births out over the next couple of years but some they will go for immediately. Like I said 2014 could be a big year for babies. Its already shaped up to be a pretty good year.
     
  16. arcticwolf

    arcticwolf Well-Known Member

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    Are the lion tailed macaques breeding? I don't remember ever seeing a baby.
     
  17. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Its been almost 10 years since Vina was born to Karl and Si-Nickel. Its been recommended that Karl and Screamer breed but at 24 years old and never having bred its likely a low probablity that Screamer will breed. Shes had ten years with Karl and nothing... thats not to say they have been trying since then. She might have been on contraceptives the whole time and given the size of the group might not want any babies.

    Right now the zoo is stuck with 5 inbreed animals no one wants to take in order to free space for breeding... plus Karl and Screamer (Si-Nickel is a product of a mother son breeding, Dave-Nickel and Sitara are products of father/brother daughter/sister breedings, and Guntur and Vina are offspring of Si-Nickel and therefore carry inbred genes).

    Frankily though Im surprised Karl would even still be an option for breeding since hes the father of 19 offspring he father while at Toronto and Assiniobione. Unless a lot died without reproducing themselves I would guess hes more than well represented.

    Honestly I dont think they will breed them or would be successful if they tried but I mentioned it because its one of the possiblities... remote as it might be.
     
  18. arcticwolf

    arcticwolf Well-Known Member

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    Thanks on clearing that up for me. Based on what you said it doesn't seem like we're going to see a baby lion tailed macaque this year.
     
  19. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    I wouldnt count on it but you never know.

    I wouldnt count on a baby Saki either. I know theres a new male but Kawa is older and has never reproduced before. Possible yes... likely no.

    The ones I would be thrilled to see besides the panda which we are all pulling for would be the otters, either species. Given that Freds never bred i dont know if we would get African otters but Ginger could have been the problem and he and Lila could have great success. The better shot would be the river otters.

    Tiger cubs would be great too. And if Kota and Sherri join Tiga in time for Snow Leopard cubs this summer that would be awesome too.

    But any babies besides the ones we currently have would just be a great bonus to a year with some great babies already here or about to be.
     
  20. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Tried to do some digging on Toronto's white rhinos. I can re-trace the females and Tony, but your Tom remains an unidentified soul.

    TMM, the erstwhile males Mtondo/Bull and Yeki both died in 2008. There is a third female in old Shaboola - Toronto born and bred - and at one point (around 2005-ish) a young female Leni (wildborn in 1996) from ALS Rockton was there. So, it would be interesting to know what happened to the latter two and where the fourth male rhino came out under … :confused: